Shillelagh: The Irish Fighting Stick Paperback – November 17, 2006

More history and information than I first expected. I started this book as a casual reader but quickly became involved in the subject matter. Well written

Good book!!

Well researched and written. Full of information and history about the Irish stick.

Some reviewers seemed to expect this book to be a how to manual of shillelagh fighting technique. Its not and doesn't claim to be in the description, though it does contain the complete shillelagh technique excerpt from Donald Walker's "Defensive Exercises", written in 1840. It also includes Walker's excellent "advertisment" or preface to his work, which sums up human nature and society in a few paragraphs as well as I have ever read.What it is is a compelling history of the use of the shillelagh in 18th and 19th century Irish faction fighting. Sometimes faction fighting was sport, in which case the shillelagh was the only weapon used. More often faction fighting seems to have been earnest combat, and the shillelagh was just one of many weapons used to maim and kill the enemy.The author quotes copiously from his primary sources, and that is not a bad thing. It allows the reader to decide if he agrees with the conclusions the author draws from those sources. I didn't always but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all, at all ( as the Irish used to say ). For instance the author attributed the decline of shillelagh use to the rise of Irish republicanism whereas I would think firearms would be the more obvious culprit.As pride in his Irish heritage and perhaps even his own last name seemed to be the motivation for the work, I was keen to find flaws in what must surely be the product of an amateur. The writing is excellent and a pleasure to read, the knowledge of Irish history broad and detailed, the treatment evenhanded and not particualry Irish-centric ( the author is well aware of and mentions how Ireland fit into pan-European events ). Even in the aforementioned instance about the decline of shillelagh use the author got around to mentioning the firearm as an obvious factor, along with Irish republicanism.Recommended for anyone interested in 18th and 19th century Irish hisory. A thoroughly interesting and entertaining work about Irish military, sport and social history. For those looking for a manual on shillelagh technique, the author originally planned that to be part two of this book, and is presumably working on it to be published separately.

Mr. Hurley has compiled the most thorough history of the Irish martial arts to date. I am a second-degree black belt in Filipino stick fighting and was raised in the Irish heritage district of Buffalo, NY. I had never heard of Irish martial arts until I came across these books. They are research based not technique. You won't learn to fight by reading this but you will discover a deep and rich martial tradition that has been suppressed for generations.The Irish were renowned around the globe as warriors. When they emigrated to the USA the derogatory stereotype of the drunken fighting Irishman became the popular perception. This book restores the dignity and honor of a proud culture that developed a martial tradition the equal of the samurai code.Shillelagh: The Irish Fighting Stick should be required reading for any student of Celtic traditions.

Love the book well useful

I bought my friend a blackthorn cudgel for his birthday this year and got this book to go with it, along with the one on Irish Gangs and Stick Fighting. I started thumbing through the book and became so enthralled I bought my own e-copy of it then eventually bought myself a very striking blackthorn walking stick. I highly recommend this book, it is really fascinating and many of the stories related within conjur up vivid and exciting images in the reader's mind!

One of the best cultural histories I've ever read.Hyperbole is insufficient.It illuminates so many things I read about but never conected.